‘Destination NBA’ doc highlights talented league hopefuls
The next generation of NBA greats takes to the court when “Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey” premieres Tuesday, Aug. 8, on Prime Video.
Helmed by directors Liam Hughes (“Fatal Crossing,” 2017) and (first-timer) Bryant Robinson, this feature-length documentary follows the NBA’s developmental league — the “G League” — and the many talented players who join the league in hopes of someday turning professional, documenting the highs and lows of the game as they all compete to earn highly coveted spots on an NBA roster.
“As the 2022-23 season unfolds, a unique group of athletes from diverse backgrounds takes you on a journey to passionate basketball locales, including Las Vegas, Mexico City, Detroit, (Portland) Maine and Fort Wayne, Indiana, as they navigate the highs and lows of chasing their shared dream of reaching the pinnacle of professional basketball,” promises NBA.com.
It continues: “This compelling and visceral first-person narrative features an ensemble cast that includes a top draft prospect, an NBA veteran looking for a second chance, a cultural icon aiming to make history, and former G League stars turned success stories Seth Curry, Spencer Dinwiddie, Gary Payton II and Jalen Green. Together they inhabit all corners of a diverse ecosystem — an ultra-competitive proving ground, where the margins are razor thin and only some dreams are realized. No guarantees. No shortcuts. No clear path. Just grit, grind and hope. This is life in the G.”
Praised for being immersive and character-driven, “Destination NBA” features both in-game footage (taken right from the sidelines) and exclusive, one-on-one interviews with the players themselves, as in a recent trailer for the film, NBA G League star Scoot Henderson — once the youngest player in G League history, and now, as of June 2023, a member of the Portland Trail Blazers – takes viewers off the court and invites them behind the scenes, sharing his overwhelming passion for the game, explaining: “When I get in that mode, it’s like, I’m in that mode. I’m not going to back down for nobody,” he says, as replays of his greatest in-game triumphs roll across the screen.
From executive producers Ameeth Sankaran (“Tom vs. Time”) and Gotham Chopra (“Goliath”) of Religion of Sports and Bill Simmons (“The Bill Simmons Podcast”) of The Ringer, “Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey” premieres Tuesday, Aug. 8, on Prime Video.